


1. Alden Sucks

by speck_of_dust, TheVackersareJewishnow (Potatoey_blob)



Series: The Jewish Vackers [1]
Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28581144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speck_of_dust/pseuds/speck_of_dust, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potatoey_blob/pseuds/TheVackersareJewishnow
Summary: As the Vackers try to celebrate their holiday, Alden is continuously cruel. What can Della do to stop him? What can the kids do but cry?Light tw for homophobia & anti-semitism
Series: The Jewish Vackers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094189
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Alden Sucks

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, we really hope you enjoy the first one shot in our series, The Jewish Vackers. Mallowmelt should be credited, but it seems they do not allow others to tag them.

“Why do they need to miss school for this? Della, you’re ruining their education. This-” Alden gestured at the open shul door, “-is worthless. I just don’t get it.”

“Is that my fault? Alden, you just aren’t a believer, it’s fine, but you can’t stop us from being faithful.”

Biana wandered over, “Mama? When is shul over? Shira asked me to play with her after. Can I go?”

Della pulled Biana onto her lap and Biana fiddled with the purple fabric of her dress. “Half an hour, baby. And if Shira’s mothers say yes, then you can go over after the kiddush.” 

Alden shook his head. “No. Biana, you have to come home and work on the school work that you’ve missed. Besides, I don’t want you spending any more time with…” he gestured again at the shul. “ _ These people  _ than you have to.”

“But… I like Shira, she’s my friend,” Biana pouted. “Her moms said I could eat lunch there, and, and she just got a baby banshee. I want to play with her.”

“Too bad,” Alden said firmly. “Them being Jewish is bad enough, but now you’re telling me you want to go to a house with  _ lesbians _ ? I won’t allow you to corrupt her like that,” Alden said, looking at Della with venom in his glare.

Della stood pulling Biana to rest on her waist, safely away from her angry husband. She walked away from him, stopping outside the main sanctuary. “Baby,” she said to Biana, “They are good people, I love them, Hashem loves them, and I think you should sleep over there tonight. I… need to talk with daddy, okay?”

“If Bi’s sleeping over at Shira’s, can I sleep over with Keefe?” Fitz asked enthusiastically.

Della turned around, surprised, “Hey, sweetie, I didn’t hear you come over, I was about to ask you if you wanted to, so of course, just remember to ask them nicely, love.”

“Yes, Mama,” Fitz grinned before running off to a quiet corner to hail Keefe.

For the rest of the service, Della devoted her attention only to praying, ignoring Alden every time he spoke, and he did keep speaking. Fifteen minutes later, he stormed outside, claiming that he “wouldn’t participate in this madness.” 

_ Good,  _ thought Della,  _ you are only making this worse for my lovely babies. You are only hurting this shul, and only making our relationship harder… Why am I even with him anymore?  _ She thought bitterly, _ Wait. Why am I? _

Although part of her hurt to think it, by the time the service was over, she’d reached a decision: Della would be divorcing Alden. She could swear that He had helped her get there, and she never looked back on that moment without a positive feeling, never worse than bittersweet.

After services ended Della found her children. “Darlings,” she began, her forehead wrinkled slightly as she tried to find the right words.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Fitz asked, he could always read her.

“Well…” she began, then she paused. “I have bad news, but in the long run, I think it’ll be good news. Your father and I… we’re going to get a divorce.”

Biana smiled, which worried Della. So did Fitz, which Della understood, she saw what Alden was like to him, even when she intervened. More than anything, she wished she could undo her decision to have stayed with Alden for so many years, but she would leave now. She would leave him. And she would protect her babies like a mother should, like she should have for all these years.

✡️✡️✡️

“Alden.”

“In my office, sweetie!” Alden yelled, there was an edge to his voice, sweet yet condescending,  _ you are an object, and as dumb as one too _ , it whispered, and she did  _ not  _ like it.

Della pushed open the door without knocking. “Don’t call me that, you son of a-”

“Darling, the kids will hear.”

“ _ ‘The kids’  _ are at their friends’, and we,” she took a deep breath, “We’re going to talk.”

The paperwork was filed after Shabbat. Every time Della signed something, she felt a strong sense of satisfaction. She was reminded over and over that it was the right thing, like when Alden handed over custody without a fight.  _ He doesn’t care about any of us, and he hates our traditions,  _ she thought, she was right.

“You have one week to get out.” One week to find a home. One week to pack it all up. One week she was still in his house. One week he was still near her children.

Alden owned the house. When they got married he had money, Della did not. Even though she had a job, Della still didn’t have much. So she decided to reach out to an old friend. 

Livvy Sonden was Della’s best friend from Foxfire, she got divorced a year before after realizing her lesbianism, but when Della asked if she had heard of any open apartments or cheap houses that she could move into, she was not intending to move in on Thursday. But they couldn’t find any listings, and they only had a week.

And she was gorgeous, so Della said yes, and she told her daily how incredibly grateful she was. In fact, it was in her speech for her wedding, though when and to whom are both things we can’t yet tell you.

We can tell you, however, that all of the Vackers were much happier now that Alden was gone. They were free from him, free to practice their religion without rude comments, free to be themselves,  _ free _ .

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the TEAM of excellent authors who all worked on this. Special shoutout to Lynn (@cadence-talle on tumblr) for inspiring us with your lovely holiday fic, Sugar Snow and Peppermint Pathways, which hdhzydusfswh. Please go read it. In fact, it's posted here, go, read it now :)


End file.
